Taken by Katharine on Tuesday last week, when she was on her way home to York after visiting our daughter Louise in south Lincolnshire. We are fortunate that there is a good fast direct rail link between York and Peterborough.
The Guildhall in Peterborough replaced a medieval guildhall which was situated on the northern side of Cathedral Square. It was erected to commemorate the restoration of the monarchy in 1660. The site selected for the new building had previously been occupied by the 'Butter Cross' or dairy market.
The building was designed by John Lovin and was completed in 1671. It was designed in the Classical style with arcading on the ground floor to allow markets to be held; an assembly room with mullion windows was established on the first floor. The building, which was funded by public subscription, bears the Royal arms of King Charles II and shields displaying the arms of Bishop Joseph Henshaw, Dean James Duport, Humphrey Orme MP and the Montagu family.
The building benefited from some restoration work in 1929. The upper floor of the guildhall, which is reached by a cast iron staircase, was the meeting place of Peterborough Municipal Borough Council from its incorporation in 1874 until the new Town Hall in Bridge Street was completed in 1933. The council proposed a scheme in the early 21st century whereby the open ground floor, which had once created a space where the butter and poultry markets could operate, would be enclosed by glass, but this scheme was abandoned on the grounds of cost.
At the time this shot was taken, a large image of Queen Elizabeth II had been added to the building and it became one of many places around the country where flowers could be left following the death of the Queen.
Thank you all for your lovely comments and favs. Katharine was thrilled by your responses to her photo.
I think it rather a shame that the proposal to glaze the arches and make it a more useful building was stopped due to the cost. Old buildings like this need to find new uses or they tend to become neglected.
Thank you all for your lovely comments and favs. Katharine was thrilled by your responses to her photo.
I think it rather a shame that the proposal to glaze the arches and make it a more useful building was stopped due to the cost. Old buildings like this need to find new uses or they tend to become neglected.
Ian
Actually this was one of Katharine's shots while she was visiting our daughter. I think it is a quite spectacular building.
Ian